Atomizer



A g- 9 1966 P. cum I 3,265,312

ATOMIZER Filed Sept. 25, 1964 United States Patent 8 Claims. cl. 239-355 This invention relates in general to atomizers and has specific reference to an atomizer of the type comprising in combination a cylindrical body consisting of a plugforming member adapted to be inserted in or on the neck of a container filled with the product to be dispensed by atomization, and a chamber having its upper portion closed by a piston slidably mounted in said chamber, said piston being urged to its outermost position by a return member enclosed in said chamber, and a partition provided with passage means disposed between said chamher and said plug-forming member, a pad of absorbent material being disposed in the bottom of said chamber and registering with an atomizing nozzle formed in said body at the level of said pad.

To operate an atomizer of the type described hereinabove the device is firstly turned upside down and then the piston is depressed into said chamber, whereby air is caused to flow from said chamber into the container filled with the. liquid product to be atomized; by simply releasing the piston, a certain quantity of the liquid to be atomized is caused to soak the absorbent pad. Thus, the liquid contained in the absorbent pad is forced outwards through the atomizing orifice during the next piston stroke.

The atomizer according to this invention is remarkable notably in that locking means are associated with the piston in order to hold same against motion in its retracted or innermost position, other means being associated with said piston for discontinuing the introduction of liquid product to be atomized into said chamber when said piston is in said retracted or innermost position.

According to a further feature characterizing this invention the aforesaid chamber and piston have such relative dimensions that when said piston'is depressed to its retracted or innermost position the piston top is somewhat recessed with respect to the top of said chamber.

According to another feature of this invention, said piston is formed with an integral rod adapted to slide axially in a socket rigid with said body, said locking means consisting of a ball or like member axially solid with said rod and adapted to move in a curved guideway or groove formed in the inner wall of said socket and comprising at its lower end an elbow beyond which said ball is engageable when said piston is moved to its re: tracted or innermost position in order to hold saidpiston in this position.

With this arrangement it will be readily understood that the user can operate the atomizer in the conventional fashion by alternately depressing and releasing the piston top; on the other hand, when the user wishes to bring the piston to its locked or inoperative position he or she simply exerts a moderate pressure upon the piston top in order to sink same into the chamber, thus causing the bail to move beyond said elbow of its guideway and to lock the piston in its inoperative or locked'position. To unlock the piston the user simply depresses the piston again, thus releasing the ball and allowing'same to rise freely along the curved guideway.

According to this invention the closure is made fluidtight when the piston is in-its locked position, by the provision of a head carried by said rod solid with said piston, which extends through the partition between said piston chamber proper and the portion constituting the atomizing plug, said head co-acting with the edges of an aperture formed in the lower wall of the aforesaid plug-forming portion when said piston is in its lowermost position. Preferably, and in order to improve the fluidtightness of the closure, the aforesaid orifice has dimensions slightly inferior to those of said head so that the latter can slide in the aperture with a certain frictional engagement.

Other features and advantages of this invention will appear as the following description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating diagrammatically by way of example a typical form of embodiment of the atomizer of the invention. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an axial section showing the atomizer with the piston in its outermost position, and

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section taken upon the line 11-11 of FIGURE 1.

As shown in the drawings the atomizer according to this invention comprises a body 10 preferably of substantially cylindrical configuration, which in the example illustrated has a base or bottom portion 11 of smaller diameter, adapted to fit into the neck of a container or the like (not shown). This body 10 is made from suitable semi-rigid material such as nylon or other adequate plastic, and its appearance is made more attractive by providing a sheath 12 therearound.

The body 10 is hollow and provided with a transverse partition 13 dividing the inner space of the body into two chambers 14, 15 open at their upper and lower ends, respectively.

The partition 13 comprises a central aperture having a tubular extension 17 towards the chamber 14, the bore of this tubular extension 17 being adapted to receive a rod 25 therein. The tubular extension 17 is formed in the example illustrated with three inner circular grooves 18 adapted notably to improve the axial fluid-tightness of the passage of said rod 25. Furthermore, a number of small orifices 19 (two in the example illustrated) are formed through the partition 13, to permit the communication between chamber 15 and chamber 14 (see FIGURE 2).

Slidably mounted in chamber 14 is a piston assembly 20 comprising a push-member 21 of semi-rigid material, preferably of same character as the body 10. This pushmember 21 comprises in its upper face a circular recess receiving the head 25a of rod 25; this rod 25 is fitted in the axial bore 25b of push-member 21, this bore 25b having a diameter substantially greater than the rod diameter for a purpose to be explained presently. The assembly consisting of the push-member 21 and head 25a is covered by a cap 22. The push-member 21 carries at its lower end an integral piston-forming portion 23 of hollow, substantially frusto-conical or outflaring configuration, the lower edges 24 of this piston being in resilient sealing contact with the inner side wall of chamber 14.

The lower free end of rod 25 which extends through the tubular extension 17 into the lower chamber 15 carries a head 26 screwed in a screw-threaded bore which acts as an abutment limiting the upward stroke-of piston 20 in chamber 14. If desired, a sealing gasket 27 of a width suffic-ient to cover the aforesaid orifices 19 formed in partition 13 may be fitted between this partition and the head 26.

In the example illustrated the head 26 is screwed in the end portion of rod 25, but it would not constitute a departure from the basic principles of this invention to construct this device dilferently; thus, for instance, an assembly consisting of rod 25 and head 26 may be screwed in the push-member 21.

In the drawings the reference numeral 28 designates the return spring constantly urging the piston 20 to its uppermost position, and 29 is an annular pad of absorbent material housed in the bottom of chamber 14, Le. in the annular space available between the inner side wall of this chamber and the outer Wall of the tubular extension 17; a disc 30, preferably made from a suitable elastomer or plastic material, overlies the pad 29, and 32 is an atomizing nozzle or orifice formed in the body at mid-height of the pad 29. Holes 31 are formed through the disc 30 to permit the ingress of air from chamber 14 to pad 29.

Secured on said disc 30 and rigid with the body 10 is a sleeve or like member 33 concentric with said tubular extension 17 and also slidably engaged by the aforesaid rod 25. This sleeve comprises an external element 34 and an internal element 35, in which a curved guideway 36 is cut. This guideway comprises at its lower end an elbow 37 for a purpose to be explained presently. On the other hand, said rod 25 comprises at its upper portion, which remains constantly within the sleeve 33, an annular groove of semi-circular cross-section 38 adapted to receive a ball 39 of a diameter very slightly inferior to that of said groove 38, the projecting portion of this ball 39 being constantly housed in the groove or guideway 36. The use of a double-walled sleeve 34, 35 is obviously necessary to facilitate the insertion of the ball 39 when assembling the device. To this end the rod 25 is firstly inserted into the sleeve and then the ball 39 is disposed in the guideway 36 so that it engages the groove 38, whereafter the sleeve element 34 is slipped over the sleeve element 35.

The sleeve elements 34 and 35 are secured in the body 10 so as to engage the disc 30 with their flange-forming bases as shown in the drawing. Of course, these flanges are also formed with holes 31 aligned with the holes 31 of disc 30.

On the other hand, the base 11 of body 10 which is to be fitted into the bottleneck or other aperture of the container filled with the product to be dispensed by atomization comprises in the example illustrated an external shouldered portion on which a cylindrical collar 40 formed with a lower flange having a central aperture 41 of a diameter slightly inferior to that of said chamber 15.

According to this invention the aperture 41 formed in this flange 40 has a diameter equal or preferably slightly inferior to that of the head 26 of rod 25, sothat this head may co-act with the edge of aperture 41 to seal this ingress to the atomizer when the piston 20 is depressed home. According to a modified form of embodiment not shown in the drawings the edge of said aperture 41 may be inor up-turned, or formed as a double resilient lip or skirt in order to improve the sealing effect.

The device described hereinabove operates as fol-lows:

During the normal operation of the atomizer, that is, with the device turned upside down, the user depresses several times the head 21 and the downward strokes of the head 21 cause the rod 25 to slide freely through the sleeve elements 17 and 33, sleeve element 33 being also adapted to slide freely in the annular free space surrounding the rod 25 in head 21. The air forced by the piston skirt 23 flows through the holes 31, pad 29 and orifices 19, thus compressing the air cushion overlying the liquid product in the container. Thus, the liquid is forced through the orifices 19 and pad 29, and eventually atomized through the nozzle 32 to the surrounding atmosphere.

Considering the relative proportions of the head 21 and body 10 the user, during the normal operation of the device, cannot drive the head 21 into the body 10 below the level of the upper edge of the body and thus the ball 39 of the locking system cannot overstep the elbow 37 formed in the guideway 36, thus positively preventing any undesired locking of the piston. On the other hand, when the user wishes to lock the atomizer he or she simply depresses the piston head 21 home until this head attains a position slightly below the level of the upper edge of the body 10. At this time the ball 39 clears the elbow 37 of guideway 36 and the piston is locked in its innermost position.

In this piston position the head 26 mounted on the free lower end of rod 25 engages the aperture 41 of flanged collar 40 and forms with the edge of this aperture a sealing joint preventing the liquid product in the container from flowing or seeping upwards and through the atomizing nozzle.

Of course, the device may be unlocked from its inoperative position by simply exerting another pressure on the head 21 to release the ball 39 and allow same to move up the guideway 36.

It will readily occur to anybody conversant with the art that many modifications and variations may be brought to the form of embodiment shown and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An atomizer comprising in combination: a generally tubular body having an intermediate transverse partition separating an annular skirt-forming upper portion and a plug-forming lower portion adapted .to be inserted in the neck of a container filled with the product to be atomized, said partition being provided with intercommunicat ing means, a piston slidably mounted in said skirt-forming upper portion and defining therein a chamber closed by said piston, a return member housed in said chamber to urge said piston in an outwards direction with respect to said chamber, a pad'of absorbent material disposed in said chamber in adjacent relationship with said partition, an atomizing nozzle provided in said tubular body at the level of said pad, a sleeve solid with said body and extending axially within said chamber, a rod connected to said piston and extending slidably through said sleeve and said partition, locking means for holding said piston in its retracted position and consisting of a ball axially solid with said rod and adapted to move along a curved guideway formed in the inner wall of said sleeve, said guideway comprising at its lower end an elbow beyond which said ball is adapted to move when said piston is moved to its retracted position so as to lock said piston in this position, and further means associated with said piston for discontinuing the flow of product to be atomized into said chamber.

2. An atomizer according to claim 1, wherein said skirtform-ing upper portion and said piston have such longitudinal dimensions that when said piston is driven to its retracted position its top is depressed with respect to the edges of said skirt-forming upper portion which thereby protrudes to provide a palpable indication of the locking of said piston in its retracted position.

3. An atomizer according to claim 1, wherein said r-od has an annular groove of substantially semi-circular cross section, in which said ball is partially housed, so as to provide a projecting portion thereof, said projecting portion of said ball being housed in said guideway of which the depth corresponds substantially to the radius of said ball.

4. An atomizer according to claim 3, wherein said sleeve comprises an internal sleeve element in which said guideways is formed, and an external sleeve element fitting on said internal element, subsequent to the positioning of said ball.

5. An atomizer according to claim 4, wherein said rod extends through said partition into a socket provided to this end, said rod comprising at its lower free end a head acting as an abutment and preventing said piston from escaping from said chamber.

6. An atomizer according to claimS, wherein said .portion of the atomizer which is adapted to be fitted in the neck, of a container, constitutes an enclosure having an open lower end, the opening of which having dimensions at most equal to those of said head which co-acts with the edges of said opening for closing same in a fluid-tight manner when said piston is locked in its retracted position.

7. An atomizer according to c1aim'6, wherein the edges of said opening consist of a skirt substantial-1y coaxial with said rod and connected to the Walls of said 'body through flange means.

8. An atomizer according to claim 7, wherein said intercommunicating means in said partition separating said chamber from said plug-forming portion comprises holes providing communication between said chamber and said plug-forming portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1958 Ba-mberger 22.2-40Q 6/1963 Kiashek 239-355 8/1963 Hoenig 239-349 5/1965 Lipman 2-22-384 FOREIGN PATENTS 2/1953 France.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

R. STROBEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ATOMIZER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A GENERALLY TUBULAR BODY HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE TRANSVERSE PARTITION SEPARATING AN ANNULAR SKIRT-FORMING UPPER PORTION AND A PLUG-FORMING LOWER PORTION ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN THE NECK OF A CONTAINER FILLED WITH THE PRODUCT TO BE ATOMIZED, SAID PARTITION BEING PROVIDED WITH INTERCOMMUNICATING MEANS, A PISTON SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SKIRT-FORMING UPPER PORTION AND DEFINING THEREIN A CHAMBER CLOSED BY SAID PISTON, A RETURN MEMBER HOUSED IN SAID CHAMBER TO URGE SAID PISTON IN AN OUTWARDS DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO SAID CHAMBER, A PAD OF ABSORBENT MATERIAL DISPOSED IN SAID CHAMBER IN ADJACENT RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID PARTITION, AN ATOMIZING NOZZLE PROVIDED IN SAID TUBULAR BODY AT THE LEVEL OF SAID PAD, A SLEEVE SOLID WITH SAID BODY AND EXTENDING AXIALLY WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, A ROD CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON AND EXTENDING SLIDABLY THROUGH SAID SLEEVE AND SAID PARTITION, LOCKING MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID PISTON IN ITS RETRACTED POSITION AND CONSISTING OF A BALL AXIALLY SOLID WITH SAID ROD AND ADAPTED TO MOVE ALONG A CURVED GUIDEWAY FORMED IN THE INNER WALL OF SAID SLEEVE, SAID GUIDEWAY COMPRISING AT ITS LOWER END AN ELBOW BEYOND WHICH SAID BALL IS ADAPTED TO MOVE WHEN SAID PISTON IS MOVED 